From arrowhead rings and mussel shell earrings to clutches and capes, young Vineyard designers are finding their way in the fashion world. The Island remains both an inspiration and a backbone for their designs.
Fashion Week is about looking good but on the Vineyard it is also a chance to do good. There are fashion shows and parties all week long from Sept. 16 to 22, but underneath all the clothing and accessories the event is a benefit for Angel Flight NE.
Martha’s Vineyard Fashion Week begins Monday, Sept. 16, with an opening night event at the Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown starting at 7 p.m. The rest of the week will include trunk shows, fashion shows at various venues all over the Island, film events at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center, including the film Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m. There is also a gala to benefit Angel Flight NE on Saturday, Sept. 21 at Union chapel in Oak Bluffs.
Vineyard fashion is often said to be an oxymoron.
Barn glamour, beach chic, preppy with a tinge of hippie are frequently used to describe how Islanders dress. But while dress clogs, Muck Boots, a clean pair of jeans, cowboy boots and the reliable plaid shirt may all be staples in many Vineyard closets, a group of Vineyard fashion designers have set out to redefine what it means to dress with comfort, confidence and, above all, personal expression.
Beginning Monday, Sept. 17, and running through Saturday, Sept.
Martha’s Vineyard Fashion Week, a celebration of fun and fashion culminates on Saturday night with the Designer’s Collection, a red carpet event, at Dreamland above The Chowder Co. in Oak Bluffs.
The event, which includes a runway show, will feature fashions from a variety Island designers and boutiques.
Fashion week festivities, all fund-raising events for Angel Flight Northeast, have included fashion shows, beauty seminars and themed nights at bars and restaurants around the island.
Vineyard fashion designer Chrysal Parrot recalled precisely the moment she saw her dress on stage at the Emmy Awards on Sunday night.
“I broke my toe, stumbling clumsily. My daughter yelled from the other room — she’s on, mom, come on she’s on,” said Ms. Parrot, who was still hobbling around her studio this week.
But the memory was fresh. There among dresses by Marchesa and Johanna Johnson was Ms. Parrot’s dress, being worn by Dahvi Waller, a writer and producer for Mad Men.
